In the Shadows
by Thirteen Black Roses
Summary: Ok, title could be better. A very short, not quite sweet introspective, from Sheik, could be considered mildly AU as he is his own male person here.


Disclaimer: I own a copy of the game, does that count?  
  
Ok, people might get mad at me over this, just get over it.  
  
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A mysterious, shadowy figure gazed out across the vast Hyrulean plain, and wondered when things would be back to normal. Normal. He shook his head at his thoughts. He had been only a child when Ganondorf had taken over Hyrule, and he couldn't clearly remember what life had been like. Still, he was better off than the Hero. According to his Aunt, well, Great Aunt, Impa, the Hero of Time had been sealed away in the Sacred Realm, asleep, for the past seven years. While he envied the Hero for not having to watch as Ganondorf destroyed the land, he wasn't sure that _he_ would want to lose seven years of his life. The Hero had only recently awakened, and was probably having difficulty adjusting to his new body and the 'new' Hyrule.  
  
Suddenly, he snapped out of his rumination and looked more closely in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch. He wasn't imagining it, a small point of light where there shouldn't be any. He carefully moved closer and was surprised to see that it was the Hero, sitting by a small campfire and pensively staring into the flames. He spotted a tree nearby and pulled himself into it, careful not to be seen, then turned back to the Hero. He remembered the first time that he had seen the Hero. He had been alerted by Raoru, the Sage of Light, and had been waiting in the Temple of Time when the Hero appeared, looking for all the world like a lost child. Which he was. A child trapped in a man's body. He couldn't imagine what it must be like. Of course, he also couldn't remember what it was like to be a child, even though he was only sixteen. His lips quirked in an ironic smile. Luckily he sounded older than he was. He did have to keep his face covered to hid his age, but he was sure that no one knew how young he was. Despite the fact that he was much shorter than the Hero of Time, who seemed to be almost eighteen.  
  
A voice startled him and he looked sharply at the Hero, wondering if he had been seen. A small, winged ball of light darted out of the Hero's cap and spoke in a tiny, bell-like voice. No, the Hero was only speaking to the Fairy. He quickly suppressed a spurt of jealousy. He had almost hoped that the Hero _was_ speaking to him. He wanted so badly to just jump down from the tree, walk over to the Hero, and simply sit down across the fire from him. They didn't even have to talk, just to be able to sit there and know that another person knew you existed...but no. He couldn't. He was supposed to remain distant, hidden in the shadows. But he wanted to. His people were gone, and the remaining Hylians were suspicious of outsiders. He sighed and looked back at the Hero, laughing with the Fairy. He had been deprived of human interaction for many long years while he watched Ganondorf from the shadows, and he wanted to talk to someone so badly it hurt, but the one person who wouldn't shun him could never see him except when he was required to give advice. So he was alone, without a people, without a home, without a face, without friends. And doomed to be so until Ganondorf was defeated. He looked at the Hero and thought, 'Hurry. Hurry and defeat him, so I can be a real person again. Or I may just go mad...' With that thought, Sheik of the Sheikah, survivor of his people, leaned against the trunk of the tree and went to sleep.  
  
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Hmmm....Lonely, depressed, feeling isolated, yup that's par for the course. Why am I so mean to characters? Well, I found a online quiz that tells you what kind of fanfic writer are you and I got Angst...I think I know why now....  
  
Well, anyway, I think I should clear up a few things before you review and/or flame. Yes I KNOW that in the game Sheik is Zelda in disguise. I decided to make him his own person. Yes, HIM. Sheik is a male. And NOT Zelda in any way, shape or form. I have ideas about how to make that work without screwing up canon, and if you really want to know I put some in my bio. Or you could e-mail or IM me and I could explain. And anyway this is a fanFICTION and I can do what I want with the characters. So there. :-P  
  
I felt the need to put that up cause I've seen some really nasty things written about this, not necessarily here but I felt I should put it up. That said, go ahead and flame!! Real reviews will be appreciated, flames will be promptly laughed at, mocked and forgotten. Please Review!! 


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